Garment hanger



Aug. 19, 1952 w. P. cRocKE'r'r, JR

GARMENT HANGER vlvileeninec. 2o, 1948 Patented Aug. 19, 1952 l HANGER This irnlen'tiori rel tesQtofan improved garment 'hanger of the clamping type.'l n' f In ade'viceof 'this type jawsvare provided Ato engage thegarmen't to be'supported vand/the jaws in turnv are supported'by g arms lorj other means which f are "hingedly connected .to each other. 'Means'are provded'ior urging f the fjaws into rclamping engagement with each otherf'and sepa- "rate' Spring means have generallyl been provided to urge the jaws apart when the clamping means is released'. vThusythe insertion of a garment `between the jawsis facilitated. f "f An object of this invention is to provide a gar- `I nen't hanger Vin which the `parts are so shaped Yand arranged to avoid'the use of a separate spring -fr urging thejaws apart. o -j I "ntdescribing'myj invention, I have `shown it yas applied to'a-garmenthanger ofthe type shown in Deknatel `Patent No. 1,955,7 92 inwhichthe fhingedly connected'arms are provided with crank portions.' v'A clamping lever is pivtally mounted on one crank portion and engagesthe crank por# -tion ofthe other arm to actuate the-jaws. `How ever, my invention is "equally applicable, to garment hangers v'employing other types fo'fvcla'mping A'means 'forA urging the jaws' into :clamping engagement witheach otherand 'other #types of hinge'diconnection-betweenthejaws. l i Another f object isA to, provide an improved garmentv hanger infwhioh Nthe 'resilience 'of the `Wire vstock from which the arm and crank 'elements `are made serves" to yhold the jaws in grippingengagment with oooh other when :the damping 'leve'rf is operated, and which also Aserves t'o' '-urge vthe-jaws away from each other when'the' clamp'- ingy lever is in its unoperated'positiori.

' The hinged connection between the` elements is efectedby proyiding'one ofthe arm and crank elements with pintle .portion'san'd by. providing the other ofsaid elements' with helicalportions which surround the pintle portions? In' other words, the latter element is -wrapped aroundV the pintle portions of the former izo-provide bearings. I have foundthat the `foregoing objects may be attained-byshaping the parts in Vsuch a manner Vthat onellpintle. and bearing is slightly out of alignment with 'the y other'. 'Assuming a position ofthe parts where the axis of each pintle portion is'coincident with' the axis of the bearing, the misalignment is such that the two axes intersect each other to form an angle. In other words, bothv axesgare aligned with respect toeone plane, but'not with'respe'ct to a plane perpendicular to said common' plane. K l *In 'such an" arrangement thereis onel angular yWilliamfi Crockett, Jr.,v chicago. nl.,fo'ssignor f to Mackie-Ldve'jo'y Manufacturingy Co., Clii' T11 cago, Illiga corporation of Illinois` 1 .Atoiioatioo'neoombor zo, 1948; serial-Notaio;

' 7Claims. (Cl. 223-96) position 'of; the parts, canoa heroin 'neutral patent.

, positionjin 'which there -is no 'stress on the parts.

Where the pintles orbearingsorboth areres'iliently mounted, as they are here since 'they vaire both formed from resilient'wire stock,A any' angular displacement of "the yparts frornthe neutral position will cause a deformation of the pintles, o r

bearingaor both, which will tend Yto cause vthe parts to return to their neutral position, assumfing'that there'is no play between the parts Actually, in the manufacture of a device of this type, there islikelyto be a certainamoun't of play or clearance between the pintles and bearings which has the effect of permittinga certain amount of free movement yof the parts in either direction from the neutral position, but the 'parts aref so constructed that Vthey will be kstressed'bejfore the jaws are' moved into theirblosed porsition.'

'5 However, they principlesof this inventionfare applicable to'garment hangers other thanthe specific type shown in' Vthe abovefmentioned reference .nowv tothe drawings in vwhich 'like reference numerals designate like parts Fig. 1 is a perspective view of 1a preferred embodiment of my invention withthe jaws in an open position. f j

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view 'taken along positions of the parts in dotted lines; :j

Figi-3 isa sectionalview takenalong lineA J'i743 'line 2-2 of Fig. 3, and showing certain'changed Y Fig. 4 is @pian viewof the parts' shown-'fio Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig, 3y but'beingjtaken along' line 5`5 of Fig. 2, showing the parts` in stressed position; Fig.v 6 is a plan view of the 5:2116' Fig. 7 is a view of a slightly modied construction; and Fig. 8 shows a further modication, The garment hanger comprises agpair ofi-jaws I0 and II which-are preferably made ofi strips of woodwhih are linedwith felt pads |21" The jaws are formed with openings which are. adapted to receive the end portions of twoy rods IDafand IIa'- respectively which support the jaws.' j'QIfhe rod Illa" is provided with jaw ,arm p'or.ti 0r1`s I3 at either end which are separatedb'y aninterjf mediate portion comprising a crank III and crank arms I5. The rod I Iak comprises jawarm rportions I6 which are separatedbyfan 'intermediate portion comprising a cranigfllandgcijank arms I8. The two portions'betweenI "the crank parts shown bent out of alignment'in a like manner.

being shown in Fig. 2, although the clamping.

The

lever is omitted for purposes of clarity.

4 pintle portions may be bent when the jaws are in an angular position other than 110.

. foregoing angular measurements are given merecrank I4 may be provided with roller bearing 23 which is preferably made of. a strip olf brass.stock`-l which is'bent into more or less cylindri'calg.shape-'-.4 as shown in Fig. 2. The bearing 23 serveswto re-f duce frictional wear on the crankUI4, but it .may

be eliminated insofar as the present invention'i's 1y by Way of example and as an illustration of the manner in which the maximum stressing action can be obtained. Entirely apart from the fore-V going considerations, practically any angular position of the jaws can be'selectedlas the neutral position.just as `long asthe clearance is sufliciently small as to permit a certain amount of stressing as the jaws are moved into their closed Position.

VFig's'. 5 and 6 show the position of the hinged portims4 when the jaws are closed, Fig. 5 being taken along line -5-5 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 6 being 'takeniatV right. angles to the projection of Fig. 5. eI-lere it, will beseen that the helices and pintle concerned. f i

The helices I9 and pintles 24 cooperate lwith each other to formftwo spaced hingedportions- 1166.5 .Niere bfolt ,abouti59 out of. olgnmerl-tgwithreaboiitwpich the. jaws more.V Each .of .iheh

spectrt'o theaxis of .rotation ofthe jaws about each other. ,Each'of the -pintle Ignortionsit are e The bendingV is effected in such a manner that theaxes ofthe two hinged portions. forman included angle4 of aboutA 150 Whenthe jaws are in an open position. As indicated above, when `the bent axesof theV two pintle portions and of the two helices are aligned with eac-h other, the parts Hare, `in Whatmight be called in .neutral position.

The. parts are bent in such a manner that this .neutralV position occurs when the jaws are in an :f

open position, preferably about 909 to 135V apart.

lfthere is. no clearance between the pintle portions andthe helices, any movement rof the jaws toward each other from neutral position will Inthe manufacture of the particular grment hanger'shown, the helices I9 are formed by:j wrapv ping the rod I Ia, around the pintle portions-24 of rod IDa. After the Wrapping operation,thewir e lar position of between 90 and 135'.

The. aforementioned clearancepermits a certain amount of free movement of therparts before the hinge portions become stressed. For instance, in the embodiment shown, the clearance permits afree movement of about i0"Y on either side of; the-neutral position. Y v

Figs. 3v and l show'the parts in neutral position, the axis of each pintle portion coinciding with the .axis of itsv corresponding helix. Here, .the jaws are 110? apart, indicatedby the upper 'dotted line position of the crank I4 2. j The neutral positionselected is preferably that 4which willproduce the maximum stressing ofthe parts when'in closed jaw position. In this in.- s'tance, where the clearance permits 40free movement, the maximum stressing occurs at 70, thereby vsuggesting the'selection of 110 for the neutral position., Y .Y o. le' obvious however.

that the heuesfaiid the aforementioned patent.

Avportions haveboth' been deformed, with the result that the axes of the pintle portions are more nearly in alignment with each other.

Asshown in Fig. 'Lthe `pintle. portions I9.- need not 'necessary be straight partions. `rDile tothe .nature vof thelbending or drawing operations employed :in the manufacture of the device. .it Iis often difficult to get absolutely straight pintle portions. When the pintle portions` are curvedrthe effectiveai'ris could be considered as being 0incidentwan the 'axis of the hences when th'. parts ,are in that neutral position whichprovidesv the greatest amountof clearance. Y Y' lIt is not necessaryY that lboth helical portions be formed on one rod-fand both pintle portions on the other. For instance, in the. modification shown in Fig. 8, the rod Illa is formed- -withone pintle portionV 24a andV opey helical portion 19h, whereas the rod IIa. is v,formed with one helical portion I9a.- and one pintle portionLZiI-b.. Y Furthermore, it is lobvious, that othertrpes of hinged connection maybe provided,- for the laws I0 and YI l..A just as. lons as the copstruptionjis `such that Vthe two spaced hinged portions may be bent .out of alignment with one another.`4

VIn operatio1i, the hinge portions tend to hold the. jaws apart when the clamping levenli) is ,in the position shown in Fig. 1. When the clamping lever-is swung upwardly into engagement with the roller bearingv 23, afterv the jaws-,have been manually closed, continued mOi/Tementof the clamping lever will draw thecranlr', portions I4 andY I'I togetherland will serveto lock the jaws in-clamped. position. Thisfposition ofthe cranks is Shown in that dotted, line position of Fis;-k .2 in which the crank I4 is disposedsuhstantially vertically- The movement'of the. crank 4from lthe solid vline position'to the last-mentioned dotted line position is permitted. ,by Virtue of a stress ing of the rodsy Ilia and VI la in substantially the same manner as occurs.V in the.)deviceY shown .in

The rods IaV and I Iamay rbe formed from any suitablewire stock, such as a afnd inch spring wire stock. .'li'orlexample',`v No. Sbright basic lsteel wire has been foundto bei-satisfactory. "Y As shown in Fig. v1,*the outer end ofthe clamping lever 20 may beformed into Sa hook sothat the garment hanger 'may be conveniently supported from 'a clothes rod. However, other sup# porting means may be provided, and the clamping lever may be utilized solely for clamping purposes.

The principles of. my invention may.` also be applied to agarmenthanger in whichv the hinged-V ly connected jaws or other garment engaging elements are biased toward eachother, or into The Y closed position, where such an arrangement is desired.

Although only a preferred embodiment of my invention has been described and shown herein, it will be obvious that various modifications and changes may be made in the construction shown without departing from the spirit of `my invention as defined bythe appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a -garment hanger having two garment clamping jaws, separate means for supporting each of said jaws, said supporting means being provided with spaced hinge portions cooperating with each other to provide a hinged connection for said jaws, the axis of one of said spaced hinge portions being out of alignment with the axis of the other of said spaced hinge portions when said jaws are in an open position, and said hinge portions being resiliently mounted so that said supporting members are stressed when said jaws are in closed position whereby said jaws will tend to spring apart.

2. In a garment hanger having two garment clamping jaws, separate means for supporting each of said jaws, one of said supporting means including a pair of spaced bearings and the other one of said supporting means including a pair of spaced pintles, means for holding said jaws in clamping engagement with each other, said bearings and said pintles cooperating with each other to provide a hinged connection for said jaws comprising two spaced hinge portions, the axis of one of said spaced hinge portions being disposed at an angle to the axis of the other.

3. A garment hanger according to claim 2 in which said supporting means are formed from r silient wire stock.

4. In a garment hanger having two garment clamping jaws, separate means for supporting each of said jaws, one of said supporting means including a pair of spaced bearing elements and the other one of said supporting means including a pair of spaced pintle elements, means for holding said jaws in clamping engagement with each other, said bearing elements and said pintle elements cooperating with each other to provide a hinged connection for said jaws comprising two spaced hinge portions, the axis of one of said spaced hinge portions being disposed at an angle to the axis of the other, at least two of said elements being resiliently mounted.

5. A garment hanger comprising two jaws, a rod for supporting each of said jaws for pivoted movement with respect to each other. each of said rods comprising two end portions bent to form jaw arms and an intermediate portion including a crank, one of said rods having helical portions at points between said crank and said jaw arms and the other of said rods having pintle portions at points between said crank and said jaw arms, said helical portions surrounding said pintle portions to provide a hinged connection for said jaws, a clamping lever pivotally mounted on one of said cranks and adapted to engage the other of said cranks to bring said jaws into clamping engagement with each other, the effective axes of said helical portions being disposed at an angle to each other and the eiective axes of said pintle portions being disposed at a similar angle to each other so that said jaws tend to spring apart from closed position.

6. A garment hanger comprising two jaws, a resilient rod for supporting each of said jaws Number for pivoted movement with respect to each other, each of said rods comprising two end portions bent to form jaw arms .and an intermediate portion including a crank, one of said rods having two spaced helical portions, one between said crank and each of said jaw arms, said helical portions being disposed at an angle to each other, and the other of said rods having two spaced pintle portions one between said crank and each of said jaw arms, each of said helical portions surrounding one of said pintle portions to provide a hinged connection between said rods, a clamping lever pivotally mounted on one of said cranks and adapted to engage the other of said cranks to bring said jaws into clamping engagement with each other, said pintle portions being disposed at an angle to each other, the plane of which angle is such that the effective axis of each pintle portion coincides with the axis of its cooperating helical portion when said jaws are open and disposed at an angle of not more than degrees from each other whereby said rods will be stressed when said jaws are in closed position.

7. A garment hanger comprising two jaws, a resilient rod for supporting each of said jaws for pivoted movement with respect to each other, each of said rods comprising two end portions bent to form jaw arms and an intermediate portion including a crank, one of said rods having a helical portion disposed between said crank and one jaw arm and a pintle portion disposed between said crank and the other jaw arm, the axes of said portions being disposed at an angle to each other, and the other of said rods having a' pintle portion disposed between said crank and one jaw arm and cooperating with said helical portion to form a hinged connection, and having a helical portion disposed between said crank and the other jaw arm and cooperating with the pintle portion of said firstrnentioned rod to provide a hinged connection therewith, the axes of said helical and pintle portions of said second-mentioned rod being disposed at an angle to each other which is substantially equal to said mst-mentioned angle so that in one position of the parts the effective axes of said pintle portions lie in a common plane and form an angle with each other and the effective axes of said helical portions lie in a common plane and form an angle with each other, means mounted on one of said cranks and adapted to engage the other of said cranks to bring said jaws into clamping engagement with each other, the angular relationship between the parts being such that the effective axis of each pintle portion substantially coincides with the axis of its cooperating helical portion when said jaws are open and disposed at an angle of not more than 135 degrees from each other whereby Asaid rods will be stressed when said jaws are in closed position.

WILLIAM P. CROCKETT, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,955,792 Deknatel Apr. 24, 1934 2,156,031 Schur Apr. 25, 1939 2,269,413 Warren Jan. 6, 1942 

